The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-02/08/2008
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'Students are our primary concern,' Dockery says
by Brittany Howerton
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
JACKSON,Tenn. (BP)--Although the Union University campus suffered millions of dollars in damage when a tornado struck Feb. 5, rebuilding its facilities is not the top priority, President David S. Dockery said Feb. 7.
"We are concerned at the large level with what appears to be untold millions of dollars of damage. We have to try to restore and rebuild on this campus," Dockery said. "But students need to know that is not our primary concern.
"We are concerned about them, their well-being, getting them back into the saddle, getting them back into trying to finish this spring semester," he said. "It's so important, especially for our seniors who are trying to graduate school next fall. We have got to finish this semester, and we're going to do everything we can to ensure that happens."
Dockery said he holds great hope for the future.
"I've gone through several emotions, from the first moment I saw the devastation, to hearing the cries from the students under the rubble, to seeing how in the world we are going to be able to coordinate these efforts Tuesday night -- which were just a jumble [of things]," Dockery said. "Now, nearly 40 hours later, I'm in a state of great hopefulness."
Dockery said a five-phase plan has been implemented to move the university forward in a positive direction: campus assessment, students' return to homes, damage cleanup, resumption of classes and rebuilding the campus.
"We're not going to have everything back to normal tomorrow, on Feb. 18 or even by the end of this spring semester," Dockery said. "But we have a plan in place that's going to move us forward with short-term strategies, intermediate strategies and long-term prospects for a better Union University.
"While this is an incredible tragedy, the opportunities on the other side are quite hopeful. We're thankful for God's providence that has helped us through and we're trusting in God to guide us as we move forward."
Dockery said he sympathized with students who have suffered and been displaced, but he encouraged them to be hopeful about the future.
"My heart goes out to students who have been in places and lost belongings and those who are badly hurt from [the tornado], but I think we have much for which to rejoice. We need to focus on that and not look back, but look forward," Dockery said.
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Brittany Howerton is a senior public relations major at Union University.
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SBC president calls for Union offering; SBC EC president calls for help with recovery
by Erin Roach
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, asked Southern Baptists to support Union University with their prayers and with a special offering after the Baptist-affiliated school suffered extensive damage from a tornado Feb. 5.
"The vast amount of damage -- perhaps as much as $50 million -- leaves the institution in a desperate situation immediately," Page said in a statement Feb. 8. "I am calling on Southern Baptists to prayerfully consider giving a love offering to this dear institution.” On one of the next several Sundays, Page said, “I pray that we would give sacrificially and lovingly to a part of our family ... which needs our assistance."
Most of Union's student housing buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, and at least 17 buildings on campus were damaged, including the library. Although the university was insured, Page said it may take months or even a year before an insurance settlement is complete. In the meantime, Page called on Southern Baptists "to understand the gravity of what has occurred at Union University."
"Let us, as Southern Baptists, reach out to persons in each of the affected states, churches which may be involved, but also to our dear friends at Union University," Page said.
Donations can be sent to "Union University Disaster Relief Fund" at 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305. The university also is suggesting that those who want to help students consider providing gift cards that can be used in stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe's or Home Depot.
"I pray that you would give to help out these dear brothers and sisters in Christ," Page said.
Page also asked for prayer for David Dockery, president of the university, as well as the faculty, staff and students.
"Just the day before, I spoke on the phone to my dear friend, David Dockery," Page said. "As usual, he exhibited a compassionate, loving demeanor. I know that sweet spirit will continue through the rebuilding of Union University."
On Feb. 7, Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, issued a statement thanking God for His protection of the Union University family and asking Southern Baptists to help with recovery efforts.
"The costs of repair will be steep and the adjustments many. I ask Southern Baptists everywhere to lift up this sister institution in prayerful concern and support," Chapman said.
Chapman reflected, "I join Southern Baptists across the nation in thanking God for His protection of the Union University family. In a night marked by danger and death across the region, the Lord supernaturally overshadowed His children at Union University. We rejoice that no one there sustained life-threatening injuries. Buildings can be repaired or rebuilt, automobiles can be replaced, scattered notes and books can be recovered, but members of the family are irreplaceable."
Also voicing prayer for Dockery's leadership amid the crisis, Chapman noted that Union's president "has been an extraordinary leader in a time of crisis, and we should pray he be strengthened for the enormous rebuilding task ahead."
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Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press.
Following is the complete text of the statement by Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, released Feb. 8:
Southern Baptists awoke on the morning of Feb. 6, 2008 to hear of catastrophic damage by tornadoes in several southern states during the night. We were equally shocked and saddened to hear of the major damage done at Union University. At this writing there have been 50 students taken to hospitals, eight with serious injuries, but none of the injuries seem to be life threatening. How our hearts go out to the families of these who have been injured and certainly to those who have lost loved ones in other states hit by these tornadoes.
Please be much in prayer for Dr. David Dockery, the president of that institution, as well as the faculty, staff and students of Union University. Just the day before, I spoke on the phone to my dear friend, David Dockery. As usual, he exhibited a compassionate, loving demeanor. I know that sweet spirit will continue through the rebuilding of Union University.
No doubt, Tennessee Baptists, as well as the other affected states' disaster relief will be on the way quickly. Let us, as Southern Baptists, reach out to persons in each of the affected states, churches which may be involved, but also to our dear friends at Union University.
As president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I call on Southern Baptists to understand the gravity of what has occurred at Union University. While the institution is insured, it may well take many months, perhaps even a year for that settlement to be concluded.
The vast amount of damage -- perhaps as much as $50 million -- leaves the institution in a desperate situation immediately. I am calling on Southern Baptists to prayerfully consider giving a love offering to this dear institution. I pray that we would give sacrificially and lovingly to a part of our family (though technically they are a Tennessee Baptist institution) which needs our assistance.
Would you and your church consider a special love offering on one of the next several Sundays for Union University? I pray that you would give to help out these dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
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Pastor surveys rubble where church stood
by Connie Davis Bushey
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
SAVANNAH, Tenn. (BP)--The facilities of Sharon Baptist Church and its Savannah Christian Academy and KIDS Preschool in Savannah, Tenn., were destroyed by one of several tornados that struck West Tennessee Feb. 5.
All five buildings of the church and schools, worth about $7 million, were destroyed, the church's pastor, Jerry Spencer, said. No one was injured on site, although church members Brett and Jennifer Williams were trapped by debris in the sanctuary.
Brett, who was editing video for a church event, heard a loud noise and went to a door of the church. Outside, he saw no hail and felt no wind, he told the Tennessee Baptist & Reflector newspaper Feb. 6. Then a pressure seemed to be developing in the building, he said. He saw the projection screens waving and felt air coming in from the back of the building. The roof lifted.
He and his wife rushed to the middle of the room and knelt down underneath some chairs. Ceiling tile began to fall down on them, and they were pushed by wind about 20 feet along the carpeted floor. Then everything became quiet again, but they couldn't move.
Brett learned that Jennifer was nearby, though the wind had separated them. He said from military training he knew to remain calm and call for help. Jennifer had her cell phone and called 911, and they were rescued unhurt about 10 minutes later by emergency personnel. When they learned how much debris was covering them, they were especially thankful that Jennifer was not hurt because she is expecting a child.
"We did a lot of praying the whole time," Brett said.
Spencer also said the homes of four families from the church sustained severe tornado damage.
Church members are sad to lose the new preschool building, which included a state-of-the-art kitchen, said Spencer, a former vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention who has served the church for about two years. About 120 students are enrolled in preschool through ninth grades.
The Sharon Baptist facilities, which were located on 40 acres, also included a 550-seat sanctuary which was five years old. Sharon Baptist draws about 500 each week to Sunday morning worship. The church also lost a van, and a car belonging to the Williamses was destroyed.
Spencer said the church's insurance had been studied and updated about a year ago. He said the many offers of help have been encouraging, including a call from a pastor in Clarksville, Tenn., he didn't know. That pastor's church had lost its facilities in a previous disaster and had rebounded.
Churches of different denominations have offered their facilities for Sharon Baptist's use, and churches from other states have offered to provide curriculum and computers for the school, Spencer said.
Sharon Baptist decided to meet at Hardin County High School in Savannah in the aftermath of the tornado, and the academy will begin meeting at First Methodist Church in Savannah on Feb. 19. A new meeting site for the preschool was pending, and the church offices will be located in the office space of a physician who is a member of the church.
Spencer told of a significant number of people who arrived at the church site on Wednesday and shed tears. He mentioned a mother from India whose two sons are students at the academy and said the boys were upset that their school buildings were gone.
But God has good in store for Sharon Baptist, Spencer said, and at the moment, "all we are talking about are buildings and property."
Though members of the church will suffer hardship and become tired of the situation, Spencer said he is looking forward to seeing them flourish as they become closer through this experience as well as seeing them grow spiritually through this "wakeup call."
The pastor said he is proud of the church's leaders, who had already met, and of church members he had talked with. Spencer said he had not heard anyone ask why the tragedy happened.
"I'm not going to give the devil any credit. I see [the storm] as one of those mysterious moves of God that you can't understand," Spencer said. "The buildings are gone, but the [church] body is in good shape."
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Connie Davis Bushey is news editor for the Tennessee Baptist & Reflector.
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Ethiopian student thankful for 'family'
by Alison Ball
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Back home in the Entoto Mountains of eastern Africa, the worst weather Mikias Mohammed ever had to deal with was a thunderstorm.
"I have never experienced anything like this," Mohammed said after the EF-4 tornado that struck Union University's campus Feb. 5.
Mohammed, a freshman computer science major from Ethiopia, had returned to his room Tuesday evening after playing racquetball with a friend. Instead of taking a shower immediately, however, Mohammed decided to stretch out on his bed for a moment and look over his homework.
"The guys ... were watching TV, cooking food and taking a shower," Mohammed recounted. "All of a sudden the lights got crazy. Lights went off, came back on and went off again. Then came this noise. I thought it was a train. After that I couldn't hear anything. The windows shattered and the wind smashed me against the wall. Everything just started to fall down."
After the storm, Mohammed clawed his way out of the rubble and walked barefoot across the living room to open the bathroom door. Nine students were huddled together there, covered in blood and surrounded by water gushing from broken pipes.
As he looks at the jumble of bricks and metal that once was his room, Mohammed thanks God for protection -- not only for himself, but for all his American "family" in Jackson, Tenn., where Union is located.
Mohammed left campus that evening, taking shelter with friends and church family, without his passport and international documents, textbooks, laptop computer or other personal belongings. Unlike most Union students, he won't be able to return home temporarily but will rely on the kindness of those in Jackson extending a helping hand to Union's students.
"Everything is gone, but I am thankful we all made it and no one died," Mohammed said.
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Alison Ball is a journalism student at Union University.
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James Dobson endorses Huckabee
by Staff
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Focus on the Family founder James Dobson endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee Feb. 7, giving the former Arkansas governor a boost heading into a series of upcoming primaries.
The endorsement by Dobson came the same day that Mitt Romney withdrew from the GOP race. Huckabee won five states on Super Tuesday and still trails by a wide margin in the delegate count, although he hopes to win a handful of states in the next week, including Kansas and Louisiana Saturday and Virginia Tuesday.
Dobson's endorsement, which came as a private citizen, came two days after he once again said he would not support frontrunner John McCain if he is the nominee. Dobson first made the statement in January 2007 during the "Jerry Johnson Live" radio program hosted by Johnson, president of Criswell College in Dallas.
Romney's withdrawal, Dobson said, made it possible for him publicly to back Huckabee. He had been "reluctant," he said, to choose between Romney and Huckabee, both of whom he found acceptable.
"The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others," Dobson said. "That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination. Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Sen. McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for President of the United States."
Dobson said McCain's "record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues" prevents him from supporting the senator from Arizona. It is a matter of "conscience," Dobson said.
McCain has a mixed record on issues important to social conservatives. He has a consistent pro-life record on abortion and, according to his website, opposes both therapeutic and reproductive cloning, but he supports embryonic stem cell research. He taped television advertisements supporting a constitutional marriage amendment in Arizona but opposes a federal marriage amendment. He has supported conservative justices over the years -- including Samuel Alito and John Roberts -- but he drew the ire of conservatives in 2005 by joining what was called the "Gang of 14," a group of Democratic and Republican senators who reached a compromise on judicial nominees.
McCain tried to appeal to concerned conservatives Thursday when he spoke to a prominent conservative organization known as CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. Introduced by two senators who back his nomination, Sam Brownback and Tom Coburn, McCain said he has a 24-year-long pro-life record.
"I intend to nominate judges who have proven themselves worthy of our trust that they take as their sole responsibility the enforcement of laws made by the people's elected representatives -- judges of the character and quality of Justices Roberts and Alito, judges who can be relied upon to respect the values of the people whose rights, laws and property they are sworn to defend."
Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, McCain said, would nominate justices "who are intent on achieving political changes that the American people cannot be convinced to accept through the election of their representatives."
The Supreme Court likely will be a major issue in the general election. Two of the court's most liberal justices -- John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- also are its two oldest members. Stevens is 87, Ginsburg 74. Both support Roe v. Wade.
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Compiled by Michael Foust, assistant editor of Baptist Press.
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Bush: Prayer has been great comfort
by Staff
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush said in his final National Prayer Breakfast as the country's chief executive he was grateful for, and had been helped by, the prayers of Americans.
The president Feb. 7 told members of Congress and his administration, as well as religious leaders and foreign dignitaries, he believes "in the power of prayer, because I have felt it in my own life."
"Prayer has strengthened me in times of personal challenge," Bush said to an audience of about 3,000 crowded into a Washington hotel ballroom. "It has helped me meet the challenges of the presidency. I understand now clearly the story of the calm in the rough seas."
After thanking the participants and other Americans for their prayers, Bush asked them to continue praying during his final year in the White House.
"We have so much work to do for our country, and with the help of the Almighty, we will build a freer world –- and a safer, more hopeful, more noble America," he said.
During his eight-minute speech, the president said prayer helps those who participate in it grow in various virtues: (1) "gratitude and thanksgiving;" (2) "meekness and humility;" (3) "boldness and courage," and (4) "mercy and compassion."
The National Prayer Breakfast, which is sponsored by an evangelical Christian organization, began in 1953 during President Eisenhower's first administration.
The full text of Bush's comments may be accessed online at www.whitehouse.gov.
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Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.
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INTERNATIONAL DIGEST: Pakistani pastor murdered by gunman; bookstore owner freed
by Mark Kelly
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A masked gunman murdered a pastor Jan. 17 in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier province.
Sajid William, 29, worked as an office manager for "Shelter Now," a Christian relief and development agency. He reportedly was accosted on the street while on his way home, according to the human rights organization International Christian Concern. The pastor was shot three times in the chest, and the gunman then used William's cell phone to call the victim's family and tell them he had murdered him.
"We believe William was murdered for his faith," another pastor told ICC.
Police authorities opened an investigation into the murder only after William's family registered a complaint. Officers took possession of the cell phone and William's laptop as evidence. During 2007, Christians in several parts of the province received threats to "embrace Islam or die," according to ICC.
In Pakistan, Shelter Now operates a fish farm and is working to rebuild 105 schools ruined during a 2005 earthquake. The agency also provides clothes, shelter and food for refugees.
CHINESE BELIEVER FREED -- A Christian bookstore owner jailed in Beijing Nov. 28 and held initially without charges has been released on bail, according to the China Aid Association, a Texas-based organization that focuses on religious freedom issues in China. Authorities say criminal charges against Shi Weihan and two dozen others associated with his case have been dismissed.
Prosecutors assigned to the case said they were unable to proceed due to "insufficient evidence" related to the charges that were eventually filed: Illegal printing and distribution of Christian literature. A source close to the family, however, told Baptist Press that Shi's bookstore only carried books for which he had received government permission.
CAA President Bob Fu noted that international attention on the case likely influenced the court's decision. During a Communist Party conference on religious policy in December, Chinese President Hu Jintao also emphasized the government's "free religious policy" that stressed law-abiding management of religious affairs and support to self-governance of religious groups.
In spite of Shi Weihan's release, hundreds of people languish in Chinese prisons because of their Christian faith, Fu noted. Zhou Heng, for example, has been imprisoned since August 2007 on the same charges as Shi Weihan. "These accounts, and others, are examples of the Chinese government's failure to remain consistent in cases receiving less international attention," Fu said.
MANY CHILD DEATHS 'PREVENTABLE' -- In 2006, nearly 9.7 million children died before their fifth birthday -- and the vast majority of those deaths could have been prevented, according to a new United Nations report. Sierra Leone, Angola and Afghanistan ranked as the countries where children were most likely to die.
Diarrhea, malaria or malnutrition caused most of the childhood deaths, the U.N. Children's Fund reported. Simple health-care measures such as vaccinations, mosquito nets and vitamin supplements would have prevented many of the deaths.
"The loss of 9.7 million young lives each year is unacceptable, especially when many of these deaths are preventable," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman told the Associated Press.
The global mortality rate for young children has been reduced by 23 percent since 1990, the report noted. The rate worldwide in 2006 was 72 deaths per 1,000 births, while the average in industrialized countries was six deaths per 1,000 births. Sierra Leone's child mortality rate was 270 deaths per 1,000 births. Twenty-eight of the 30 countries with the highest child mortality rates were in West Africa.
AL QAIDA USING MENTALLY DISABLED BOMBERS -- Another sign has emerged that the Al Qaida terrorist network is resorting to desperate measures in its struggle against the Iraqi government and its allies: The use of mentally disabled women in suicide bombings.
Two women described as suffering from Down syndrome were blown up by remote control Feb. 1 in two pet markets in Baghdad, killing at least 91 people. The explosions came 20 minutes apart in different parts of the city.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the bombings prove Al Qaida is "the most brutal and bankrupt of movements," according to the Associated Press. Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said, "There is nothing they won't do if they think it will work in creating carnage and the political fallout that comes from that."
Women are being used successfully in suicide attacks because Iraqi cultural taboos forbid men to touch women who are not their relatives. The black, full-body garb usually worn by Iraqi women makes it easy to hide explosives.
CHAVEZ: U.S. PLOTS 'AGRESSION' -- When U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia on a diplomatic mission in late January, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused Colombia and the United States of plotting a military "aggression" against Venezuela.
Citing intelligence reports but not offering any evidence to support his claim, Chavez said, "I accuse the government of Colombia of devising a conspiracy, acting as a pawn of the U.S. empire, of devising a military provocation against Venezuela," according to an Associated Press report.
Chavez, who is faced with sharply lower public support because of domestic social and political issues, often accuses the United States of plotting to kill him or drive him from power. This is the first time he has taken such a sharp tone with neighboring Colombia, a U.S. ally that has protested Chavez appointing himself as a negotiator with rebels fighting the Colombian government.
The Venezuelan president warned Colombia about attempting a "provocation" and said his country would cut off oil exports if a military strike was launched from Colombia. "In that scenario, write it down: the price of oil would reach $300, because there wouldn't be oil for anyone," Chavez said, according to news reports. "The invaders would have to step over our dead bodies."
DPRK STILL WORST PERSECUTOR--The Democratic People's Republic of North Korea once again tops a list of countries where Christians suffer the most intense persecution. North Korea received 90 of a possible 100 points to lead the annual "World Watch List" compiled by Open Doors USA, a California-based ministry to persecuted Christians around the world.
It is the highest score a country has ever received in the ranking and the sixth consecutive year North Korea has topped the list, Open Doors President Carl Moeller told Mission Network News. Other countries identified as seriously violating the human rights of Christians in 2007 included China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Maldives, Bhutan, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Laos, Uzbekistan, Eritrea and the Palestinian territories.
Worldwide, 200 million Christians are persecuted because of their faith and another 400 million face discrimination, Open Doors estimates.
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Mark Kelly is an assistant editor of Baptist Press.
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Bill to penalize TV indecency stalled
by Katherine Kipp
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
WASHINGTON (BP)--A bill seeking to strengthen restrictions on television indecency finally escaped a Senate committee in December but now sits idly on the Senate legislative calendar with no signs of moving anytime soon.
The Protecting Children From Indecent Programming Act, S. 1780, attempts to remedy the Second Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling in June that the Federal Communications Commission could not prohibit television networks from airing fleeting expletives.
The appeals court's opinion ruling was issued after the live Fox Channel 2002 and 2003 Billboard Music Awards programs made use of the F-word and/or S-word while on air. The FCC ruled in those incidents a single use of the F-word would be considered indecent, but the New York-based court rejected the FCC's decisions.
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, recently published an article on the ERLC's website urging those who helped push the bill past the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to return to their phones.
"The decision [by the circuit court] greatly curtails the FCC's authority to fully enforce a new law -- passed with your help -- to fine broadcasters up to $325,000 per indecency violation," Land said. "And it opens the doors for networks to routinely air fleeting expletives between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children are likely to watch television."
The bill's supporters say they are telling the television networks the public owns the airwaves and has a right to regulate them, especially when it concerns children watching television shows with inappropriate language and situations.
"Television is fast becoming a moral sewer, and broadcast networks are getting away with it," Land said.
The Senate panel approved the legislation by unanimous consent in July, but the measure languished in the committee for nearly five months. After the bill's advocates urged the committee to follow through, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D.-Hawaii, the committee chairman, reported the bill to the full Senate Dec. 5.
The bill would restore authority to the FCC by requiring the agency to "maintain a policy that a single word or image may constitute indecent programming."
On Feb. 4, the ERLC and other pro-family organizations urged citizens in support of the bill to call their senators and ask them to encourage Sens. Harry Reid, D.-Nev., and Mitch McConnell, R.-Ky., to schedule a vote in Congress on the bill. Senators can be contacted by dialing the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or through e-mail.
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Katherine Kipp, a junior at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., is attending the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities' Washington Journalism Center this semester and serving as an intern with Baptist Press. With reporting by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.
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Government officials see Union's damage
by Brittany Howerton
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Recovering from the tornado that ravaged Union University's campus Feb. 5 will require people to "roll up their sleeves" in a long-term effort, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said Feb. 7 during a visit to the west Tennessee campus.
Bredesen and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff toured the university to get a firsthand perspective on the devastation and talk about how the government can help with the recovery.
Not only did the tornado ravage many of the buildings on campus, but it also took most of the students' personal belongings, Bredeson noted. Helping members of the university community rebuild their lives, he said, will require hard work that lasts long after the media spotlight has moved on to other matters.
"The next week or two is when we really get in and help people get their lives together," Bredesen said. "After the media has gone home, there are going to be a lot of families in Tennessee and a lot of places that are going to need help over a period of months. We ask people in Tennessee to show the kind of neighborliness and compassion that I think we're known for.
"When it gets out of the newspaper headlines and off the evening news is not when this needs to stop. It needs to keep going for months to help these people get their lives together."
Bredesen said he finds hope for recovery in how well Tennessee's communities come together in crisis.
"It always strikes me just how many people in our state -- and I'm in a room full of them -- who just roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to be a community and reach out to people," Bredesen said.
An EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 200 mph blasted the campus about 7 p.m. Feb. 5, destroying or severely damaging 80 percent of student housing and causing significant damage to all but one other building on campus. Nearly 1,200 students were on campus the night of the storm.
Chertoff said he was staggered by the degree of destruction at Union and was thankful there was no loss of life.
"It reminds you of the force of nature and that there are some things you can't stop," he said. "But you can prepare for them and make the damage less worse than it might have been otherwise.
"You can't rebuild lost lives, so the number one priority is making sure everyone is safe," Chertoff said. "The fact that you all did what you had to do is a great credit to you as a school and administration."
Union President David S. Dockery, in his daily progress report posted on the university's www.uu.edu website Feb. 8, said he was thankful for the expression of support represented by Bredesen's and Chertoff's visit.
"We were pleased to welcome Gov. Bredesen, as well as the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of FEMA, to campus on Thursday," Dockery said. "They represent people from across the nation who are offering their prayers, their encouragement and their support for us during this time. We give thanks for each one of them.... We are deeply moved by this outpouring of support."
During the officials' campus tour, Dockery outlined Union's five-phase plan for revitalizing the campus and student body: campus assessment, students' return to homes, damage cleanup, resumption of classes and rebuilding the campus.
Dockery also expressed optimism about the prospect for recovery.
"We have a plan and if we can carry it out, which I think we can, we're going to be OK," Dockery said. "We've got some tough days ahead of us. I'm not trying to say it'll be easy, but if everyone will rally together and follow the plan I think we can do it."
With an initial damage estimate of at least $40 million on Union's campus, Chertoff said FEMA is anxious to receive a report from Bredesen on what the needs are in Jackson and other places in Tennessee ravaged by the storms. Then the federal government will be able to do a more "detailed assessment" of what can be done to help, Chertoff said.
"We're going to be here to stand shoulder to shoulder with the governor and help you get cleaned up and get back to school," Chertoff said.
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Brittany Howerton is a senior public relations major at Union University.
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Limited government
by Kelly Boggs
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--The Declaration of Independence is an amazing document. However, it seems apparent that too many lawmakers in America are ignorant of its intent.
When the founding fathers crafted their defiant declaration they very carefully listed the reasons they were dissolving "the political bands" which had them bound to England.
In the Declaration of Independence, the founders accused the British government of being overbearing, obtrusive, arbitrary and brutish. Taxation without representation was just one example of England's unjust policies.
Examining the Declaration of Independence in light of the subsequent Constitution, it seems clear that the government favored by the founders was a limited one. Hence, they created a representative republic highlighted by a separation of powers.
America's founders had long chaffed under a heavy-handed government that sought to control too many aspects of their lives. The last thing they wanted in a new government was an individual or individuals who would seek to micromanage their affairs.
Fast forward 232 years from the time the founders declared their independence and it seems that many of our legislators are more than willing for government to intrude into the lives of ordinary citizens.
Government in some shape, form or fashion now regulates too much of our lives. Consider the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973, which began with good intentions.
Included for protection in the ESA are a variety of spiders, snails, snakes, fish, salamanders, bats, rats, lichens, ferns, flowers, etc. At last count, there are 1237 animals and 747 plants that are classified as "endangered or threatened."
If you live in California, according to the ESA, there are 309 species you have to be careful not to disturb. In Florida you have to be on the lookout for 114 and in Texas 93. I am fortunate. In Louisiana the ESA indicates that I only have to be on the alert for 30 different species that are "threatened or endangered."
Run afoul of the ESA and you will pay dearly. Not only could you be accessed a hefty fine, but your land use could be severely restricted. In 2003, a North Carolina logger was fined $95,000 for cutting down a tree where endangered eagles nested. No eagles where harmed, mind you, it was only the nest that was destroyed.
The ESA is only the tip of the iceberg of intrusive government regulation.
Government in some shape, form or fashion dictates not only the type of toilet you can install in your home, but whether or not you can pump your own gas. Two states, Oregon and New Jersey, actually forbid self-serve gas stations. I could go on and on ad nauseam. And if you really think about, you could too.
Last year, a New York state senator proposed legislation that would make it illegal for people to use an MP3 player, cell phone or any similar electronic device while crossing a street in either New York City or Buffalo. I am glad to report that this piece of legislation was defeated.
The most recent attempt of government to intrude into the lives of citizens comes from Mississippi where three lawmakers want to make it illegal for restaurants to serve food to obese people. The implications of this law, not to mention how it would be enforced, are disturbing. Here is hoping it is soundly defeated.
I would not be surprised, however, if some form of the Mississippi fat-law eventually gets passed somewhere in America. Consider the smoking bans that are sweeping the nation.
I don't smoke. In fact, I can't stand cigarette smoke and believe it to be one of the nastiest and most foolish and unhealthy habits one can ever engage in. If government wants to ban smoking on government-owned property, so be it. However, to tell an owner of a private business that he or she cannot allow smoking is beyond intrusive.
If a restaurant wants to market itself as smoke-free, it will have my business. If another establishment wants to tout itself as "so smoke-filled you'll think the place is on fire," I will steer clear.
"The law is the last resort of human wisdom acting upon human experience for the benefit of the people," a wise man once observed. "However," he added, "too many laws written too specifically are neither wise nor beneficial."
Our founders would agree. And if they could see what has become of their vision of limited government, they would be appalled.
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Kelly Boggs, whose column appears each week in Baptist Press, is editor of the Baptist Message, the newspaper of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
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Logistical support offered to Union students
by Staff
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Students who suffered through a tornado at Union University Feb. 5 are being guided through logistical challenges by updates posted at uurecovery.com, the school's official site for recovery information.
Among the various items already posted:
-- Union University Counseling Services is sponsoring a care-and-comfort station at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. The station is described as a casual and confidential place for Union's community to discuss their storm experiences.
Students are advised to call Paul Deschenes at 731-394-2395 to schedule individual or group appointments. Natural groups such as roommates, departments, Greek organizations, staff, faculty, facilities and families work best, the website said.
-- All students who suffered damage to personal belongings are encouraged to file the appropriate papers with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the possibility of FEMA reimbursement. If a student contacts FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, the process will occur directly between the student and FEMA.
-- A housing update posted Feb. 8 addressed how students could retrieve personal belongings from the various residence facilities on campus.
"Please know that every effort will be made to retrieve all undamaged personal items from the apartments," Tim Ellsworth, Union's news director, noted on the website. "We are grateful for your patience and understanding during this challenging process."
In the McAfee Complex, the Lee, Paschall, Pollard, Rogers, Sullivan and Wright apartments were open Feb. 8 for students to pick up personal items, and university officials said the apartments would be available for students to move in again on Feb. 18.
"All students must check in at the Zeta house and have an approved escort to take them to their apartment," Ellsworth wrote. "Anyone without an escort will be denied access to their apartment."
Trips to the apartments are limited to Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; and Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Dehoney and Craig apartments will be bagged by the university recovery team only and will be repaired and also available for move-in for the spring semester, the website said. The Jarman apartment will be bagged by the recovery team and will not be available for move-in at any time in the spring. The Gray and Dodd apartments will have limited entry by the university recovery team and will not be available for move-in at any time in the future.
Various buildings in the Hurt Complex and Watters Complex have been approved to be bagged by the recovery team, with items to be placed in an on-campus holding area, the website said. University staff will contact students when their belongings are available for pick-up, with calls beginning as early as Feb. 9. These facilities, however, will not reopen any time in the spring.
All residential students will be contacted beginning Feb. 8 regarding their options for spring housing, the website said.
-- Students who lost medications, medical devices, eyeglasses or other health-related items may e-mail Health Services' Paul Mayer at pmayer@uu.edu. Emergency requests may be made by calling 731-437-0316, the recovery website said.
-- Union students are encouraged to contact their parents' homeowners insurance agency regarding covering of their campus belongings. Car insurance companies should be contacted regarding car damage and information about the next steps to be taken.
-- Students who need temporary identification for air travel or to function as a driver's license should contact Linda Cone at 731-423-6622. Cost is $20 for out-of-state students or $8 for in-state students. Students will need to obtain an official letter from Dottie Myatt in the Chi Omega house with their name, date of birth and enrollment status. Students needing passports, driver's licenses or any other identification also can contact Jane Jolley in Sen. Bob Corker's office at 731-424-9655 or jane_jolley@corker.senate.gov.
For further information, the university family can contact the call center at 731-668-1818 or 731-661-5000 or e-mail uurecovery@uu.edu. The call center will be open Friday until 10 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.-6 p.m.; and the following week 7 a.m.-7 p.m., according to the website.
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Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Erin Roach.
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El paso de los tornados más devastadores en 20 años
by Por el personal
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Casas reducidas a escombros y pérdida de vidas, dijeron los expertos, fue la evidencia del paso de tornados más devastador que dejó a 55 personas muertas a través del sureste.
Una historia de supervivencia emergió en Savannah, Tennessee, donde una madre embarazada y su esposo estaban arrodillados en una iglesia cuando los escombros caían alrededor de ellos.
Brett Williams le dijo al The Jackson Sun que él y su esposa Jennifer habían estado editando un video del servicio de la iglesia en Sharon Baptist Church cuando escucharon un ruido que se volvió estrepitoso. Cuando llegó a la puerta para ver lo que pasaba, casi fue sacado por el viento. Guió a Jennifer, quien tiene seis meses de embarazo, al centro del templo donde se acurrucaron de rodillas.
"Justo en el momento en el que nos arrodillamos, las lozas del cielo raso comenzaron a caernos," le dijo Brett al periódico del oeste de Tennessee. "Cada cosa en el edificio comenzó a moverse y simplemente nos arrastró. Todas las sillas comenzaron a apilarse sobre nosotros… simplemente nos protegieron en realidad."
Luego de 20 segundos de confusión, el viento se calmó y Jennifer pudo llamar al 911. Brett dijo que ellos oraron por seguridad y se cuestionaban cuán hondo estarían enterrados en los escombros. Los primeros en responder libraron a la pareja a los 15 minutos de llegar, reportó The Sun, y sólo tenían daños menores. Un médico confirmó que el bebé en el vientre de Jennifer no había sufrido daño.
El centro de adoración de The Sharon Baptist, un centro de estudio y dos edificios que alojaba a Savannah Christian Academy fueron destruidos. El pastor de la iglesia, Jerry Spencer, es ex vicepresidente de la Convención Bautista del Sur y ex evangelista itinerante.
"El edificio de la iglesia fue destruido," le dijo Allen Guyer, ministro de música de Sharon Baptist, a la Prensa Asociada, "y también tenemos una escuela y un preescolar -- que han desaparecido completamente. Algunos miembros de la iglesia han perdido sus casas, algunos están en el hospital; pero todos están bien."
El presidente Bush tiene programado visitar Tennessee el viernes para tener una primera impresión de la devastación y expresarle apoyo a la gente que ha sido impactada. El gobernador de Tennessee Phil Bredesen visitó el recinto de Union University en Jackson con el secretario de Seguridad Interna Michael Chertoff el 7 de febrero cuando los trabajadores comenzaban el largo proceso de limpieza y levantamiento de escombros.
Elizabeth Holmes de la oficina de ayuda de desastres de los Bautistas de Tennesseele dijo a Baptist Press el jueves cerca de las 2:30 hora del centro que las cuadrillas todavía no habían sido permitidas en Jackson o en el condado Macon en la parte norte del estado.
A Savannah, dijo Holmes, llegaron dos cuadrillas de ayuda de desastres con sierras de cadena y algunos trabajadores de valoración a la escena, pero la mayoría de los propietarios dijeron que estaban bien y podían limpiar ellos mismos.
El jueves en la mañana, un par de estudiantes de Union aparecieron en el Show "Today" de la NBC para contar como Dios los había protegido durante el tornado que destruyó o dañó seriamente los edificios a través del recinto universitario.
"Solamente pudimos sentir la mano protectora de Dios sobre nosotros," dijo Sarah Logan. "Cuando usted mira la desolación y la destrucción en nuestro recinto y se da cuenta que acá había 1.200 estudiantes y que ninguno murió, usted no puede más que decir que fue un milagro y que Dios estaba acá protegiéndonos."
Oficiales dijeron que la universidad fue golpeada por un tornado EF4, que alcanza vientos de 166 a 200 mph.
Bredesen, el gobernador de Tennessee, estimó que 1.000 casas en el estado fueron destruidas de acuerdo al reporte del New York Times y mucho del daño fue causado por raros tornados de "largo rastro" que se quedan en la tierra abarcando distancias de entre 30 a 50 millas. Un tornado en Arkansas aparentemente dejó un sendero a través de cinco condados.
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Compilado por Erin Roach, escritora de planta de Baptist Press.
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Chertoff y Bredesen ven las pérdidas causadas por el tornado en Union
by Por el Personal
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--El secretario de Seguridad Nacional Michael Chertoff y el gobernador de Tennessee Phil Bredesen recorrieron el 7 de febrero los devastados predios de Union University luego del tornado, al tiempo que se iniciaba el largo proceso de limpieza de escombros y de reconstrucción de los predios.
"Vamos a estar aquí," dijo Chertoff, "para estar hombro a hombro con el gobernador y ayudarlos a ustedes a rehabilitarse y a regresar a clases… Estamos realmente contentos de que estén vivos y ansiamos volver a este recinto cuando esté totalmente limpio y reconstruido."
Chertoff tomó nota de los planes de preparación, y declaró: "Es impresionante el hecho que la administración de esta escuela y los estudiantes tuvieran la capacidad de prepararse. Realmente salvaron muchas vidas." "Los edificios," añadió, "pueden reemplazarse; no podemos reemplazar vidas perdidas."
Tropas de la Guardia patrullaron los predios de Jackson la noche del 6 de febrero para proteger las residencias estudiantiles y los edificios académicos. Cuando el sol salió el jueves en la mañana, pusieron su atención en ayudar a los estudiantes a recuperar sus pertenencias de las unidades habitacionales que estaban completamente destruidas.
"Los miembros de la Guardia trabajarán con la seguridad de Union para recobrar bienes personales en buen estado de diferentes cuartos de las residencias," dijo el presidente de Union David Dockery. "Nuestros esfuerzos también se enfocarán en ayudar a los estudiante a remover sus vehículos de los predios universitarios."
"La operación limpieza comenzará en forma intensiva el viernes," dijo Dockery.
Bredeson y Chertoff visitaron los recintos universitarios como parte de un recorrido a través de la región para estimar los daños causados por docenas de tornados que arrasaron en Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi y Alabama el 5 de febrero, y mataron por lo menos a 54 personas e hirieron a cientos.
El presidente George Bush tiene programado visitar el área el viernes.
Estimaciones iniciales consideran los daños a la universidad en $40 millones o más, pero la pérdida va más allá de solamente edificios destruidos y dañados; Dockery anotó que "el daño a las posesiones y las pertenencias de los estudiantes ha sido igualmente severo."
Morris H. Chapman, presidente del Comité Ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur, llamó a los bautistas del sur a levantarse y ayudar a la familia de Union a reconstruir sus predios y sus vidas.
"Los costos de reparación serán elevados y los ajustes serán muchos," le dijo Chapman a Baptist Press. "Les pido a los bautistas del sur en todas partes que levanten en oración y apoyo esta institución hermana."
Champman se maravilló de que a pesar del daño tan severo a los predios, no hubiera habido pérdida de vidas.
"En una noche marcada por el peligro y la muerte a través de la región, el Señor sobrenaturalmente cubrió a sus hijos en Union University," dijo. "Nos regocijamos que nadie allí sufriera ningún daño que hiciera peligrar la vida. Los edificios se pueden reparar o reconstruir, los automóviles se pueden reemplazar, las dispersadas notas y libros pueden recuperarse, pero los miembros de la familia son irremplazables."
Union ha establecido un fondo de ayuda para la gente que quiera ayudar en la recuperación. Se pueden enviar donaciones a "Union University Disaster Relief Fund" a 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305. La universidad también sugiere que aquellos que quieran ayudar a estudiantes consideren dar tarjetas de regalo que se puedan usar en tiendas como Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe's o Home Depot.
Hasta el 6 de febrero, el personal de Union había registrado 86 heridos a raíz de la tormenta, 51 hospitalizaciones y siete personas admitidas en cuidados intensivos en el hospital local, dijo Greg Thornbury, decano de la Escuela de Estudios Cristianos de Union. Al final del día, permanecían tres en el hospital.
La escuela tiene suficientes voluntarios que se han inscrito para ayudar en los esfuerzos de limpieza del recinto universitario los días viernes y sábado, de acuerdo al sitio de Internet de la universidad: www.uuemergency.com. Cualquiera que esté interesado en ayudar la próxima semana puede llamar al (731)661-5160. También sería de gran ayuda en el esfuerzo de recuperación recibir donaciones de guantes de trabajo, bolsas para basura, rastrillos, palas y carretillas.
Las familias de Jackson respondieron rápidamente recibiendo estudiantes en sus hogares la noche del desastre, pero también se necesita hospedaje de más largo tiempo, dijo Cam Tracy, instructor de la escuela.
"Apreciamos profundamente las diferentes clases de ofertas de estadía de corto tiempo que recibimos para estudiantes que fueron desalojados por el tornado del martes en la noche," dijo Tracy. "Incluso el martes en la noche, cada estudiante fue hospedado en el hogar de alguien.
"Sin embargo, tenemos la necesidad, de hospedaje a largo plazo mientras se completa el semestre de primavera," añadió Tracy. "El ochenta por ciento de las viviendas de los estudiantes fue destruido o severamente dañado, y con un estudiantado provenientes de 45 estado y 36 países, proveerles vivienda una vez que se reanuden las clases será una verdadera necesidad."
"Las personas que deseen ayudar alojando estudiantes el resto del semestre pueden llamar al 731-499-5109", dijo Tracy.
Además de las actualizaciones en el sitio uuemergency.com, Dockery está colocando diariamente noticias actualizadas en la página de Internet de la universidad: www.uu.edu. Baptist Press también ha cedido a Union un espacio para noticias y actualizaciones, en www.bpnews.net/blog.
Junto con tangibles expresiones de apoyo, Chapman insta a los bautistas del sur a hacer de la comunidad de Union University una prioridad en oración.
"Estamos muy agradecidos con el Señor por su fiel cuidado y protección a toda la familia de Union," dijo Chapman. "Sé que bautistas del sur a través de toda la nación se han unido a los oficiales, al personal, al Comité Ejecutivo y a mí en el compromiso de continuar orando por la recuperación que sigue."
En una muestra de solidaridad con la familia de Union, la estación de radio KCBI de Dallas programó un teletón de tres horas para el viernes. La estación de radio está afiliada a Criswell College en Dallas. Estudiantes y miembros de la facultad del Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary en Fort Worth, Texas, "pasaron el sombrero" durante el servicio de capilla del 6 de febrero. El sombrero, sin embargo, al verdadero estilo texano, fue una bota vaquera, y los oficiales del seminario dijeron que un cheque por $5.000 sería llevado personalmente por tres representantes del seminario enviados para ayudar en el trabajo de limpieza de Union.
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Compilado por el editor asistente de Baptist Press Mark Kelly y el editor Art Toalston, con el reporte de la periodista de Union Brittany Howerton.
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Los hispanos prefirieron a Clinton, McCain
by Por Michael Foust
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Los hispanos quienes el Súper Martes votaron en estados con una población importante de latinos prefirieron a la demócrata Hillary Clinton y al republicano John McCain, según mostraron las encuestas hechas a la salida de los comicios.
Cinco estados que tienen un porcentaje de hispanos mayor que el promedio [nacional] tuvieron elecciones primarias: Arizona, California, Nuevo México, Nueva Jersey y Nueva York. Todos ellos sobrepasan el promedio nacional de 14.8 por ciento de población hispana.
En el lado de los demócratas, Clinton obtuvo fácilmente el voto hispano en los cinco estados mencionados:
-- En Arizona, Clinton recibió el 55 por ciento del voto hispano y Obama el 41 por ciento.
-- En California, Clinton ganó en ese grupo, 69 vs 29 por ciento.
-- En Nueva Jersey, Clinton ganó 68 vs 30 por ciento.
-- En Nuevo México, Clinton ganó 73 vs 26 por ciento.
Clinton se llevó cuatro de los cinco estados, con la posible excepción de Nuevo México, donde aún no se ha declarado un ganador.
En el lado republicano, McCain ganó entre los hispanos de Arizona con el 68 por ciento, mientras que Mitt Romney obtuvo el 23 por ciento, y McCain ganó entre los hispanos de California con el 35 por ciento en comparación con el 20 por ciento obtenido por Huckabee y el 19 por ciento de Romney. No hay información de las encuestas de salida de Nueva York y Nueva Jersey acerca de los republicanos, se dice que fue debido a que era estadísticamente insignificante. (Los electores hispanos formaban menos del 5 por ciento de los votantes republicanos en ambos estados). El partido republicano no tendrá elecciones primarias en Nuevo México sino hasta el 3 de junio.
Mientras tanto, el voto de los evangélicos continúa jugando un papel significativo en la nominación de los republicanos, donde aquellos que profesan ser nacidos de nuevo o evangélicos favorecieron al ganador en 10 de las 14 elecciones primarias donde se condujeron sondeos a la salida de los comicios. (No hubo sondeo en Delaware o en los estados caucus.) En el lado de los demócratas, quienes asisten a la iglesia cada semana favorecieron al ganador en 14 de los 15 estados donde hubo elecciones primarias. La decisión de Nuevo México aún no se ha dado a conocer. (Los principales medios de comunicación no preguntaron a los electores demócratas si se autodenominaban evangélicos.)
Los republicanos tuvieron elecciones primarias o caucases en 21 estados y los demócratas en 22.
Los evangélicos, particularmente los del sur del país, quizá tuvieron la mayor influencia para Huckabee, quien no había ganado desde la primera votación en la nación en Iowa. Él comenzó el día ganando el caucus de West Virginia y después continuó ganando las primarias de Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee y su estado natal de Arkansas. Sus victorias en Alabama, Georgia y Tennessee fueron sorpresivas ya que según encuestas durante la última semana se encontraba rezagado.
Entre las principales estadísticas de las encuestas de salida relacionadas con los evangélicos se encuentran las siguientes:
-- Huckabee fácilmente se llevó el voto evangélico en las cuatro primarias que ganó; obtuvo el 47 por ciento de los nacidos de nuevo en Alabama, 69 por ciento en Arkansas, 43 por ciento en Georgia y 42 por ciento en Tennessee.
-- Romney batalló con los evangélicos en los cuatro estados sureños ganados por Huckabee; terminó en tercer lugar por debajo de McCain en Alabama, Arkansas y Tennessee y segundo en Georgia, sólo un punto arriba de McCain. Los problemas de Romney con los evangélicos es significativo ya que ellos constituyen entre el 62 y el 77 por ciento de los votantes republicanos en los cuatro estados.
-- De los 14 estados que realizaron primarias y en donde se llevaron a cabo encuestas de salida, Huckabee ganó el voto evangélico en seis, McCain en cuatro y Romney en cuatro. Además de los cuatro estados antes mencionados, Huckabee ganó el voto evangélico en Oklahoma y Missouri, dos de los estados que ganó McCain. McCain ganó entre los evangélicos de Arizona, Illinois, New jersey y New York en donde ganó. Romney, mientras tanto, ganó entre los nacidos de nuevo de California, Connecticut, Massachusetts y Utah. McCain ganó en California y en Connecticut.
-- McCain terminó primero o segundo entre los evangélicos en 11 de las 14 primarias. Fox News realizó una encuesta de salida en 15 estados en donde los que se auto nombraban evangélicos favorecieron a Huckabee con un 34 por ciento, Romney le siguió con un 31 por ciento y después McCain con un 29 por ciento.
Las encuestas de salida también mostraron que el movimiento por la vida continúa siendo una parte significativa del Partido Republicano: en 10 de los 14 estados en donde hubo primarias la mayoría de los votantes republicanos dijeron que el aborto debería ser ilegal. (El cuestionario de salida de los demócratas no contiene una pregunta sobre el aborto).
Del lado Demócrata, Clinton y Obama ganaron cada uno el voto de aquellos que asisten a una iglesia en ocho estados en donde se realizaron primarias. Clinton ganó en Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma y Tennessee. Obama se llevó los votos de los que asisten a una iglesia en Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey y Utah. New Jersey fue el único estado en donde el ganador en esta categoría no ganó también en el voto total.
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Michael Foust es el editor asistente de Baptist Press.
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INTERNACIONAL: Pastor pakistaní asesinado por pistolero enmascarado; ...
by Por Mark Kelly
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Un pistolero enmascarado asesinó a un pastor el 17 de enero en Peshawar, la capital de la provincia noroeste de Pakistán.
Sajid William, de 29 años, trabajaba como gerente de oficina para "Shelter Now," una agencia cristiana de socorro y desarrollo. Se dice que fue acosado en la calle mientras iba de camino a su hogar, según la organización de derechos humanos International Christian Concern. El pastor recibió tres disparos en el pecho, y el pistolero luego usó el teléfono celular de William para llamar a la familia de la víctima y decirles que lo había asesinado.
"Creemos que William fue asesinado debido a su fe," dijo otro pastor a ICC.
Las autoridades policíacas abrieron una investigación acerca del asesinato sólo después que la familia de William registró una queja. Los oficiales tomaron posesión del teléfono celular y de la computadora portátil de William como evidencias. Durante 2007, los cristianos que residen en varias partes de la provincia recibieron amenazas que decían "adoptar el islam o morir," según reporta ICC.
En Pakistán, Shelter Now opera una granja de pescado y está reconstruyendo 105 escuelas arruinadas por el terremoto de 2005. La agencia mencionada también provee ropa, resguardo y alimentos a los refugiados.
LIBERADO CREYENTE CHINO -- Un cristiano dueño de una librería encarcelado en Beijing el 28 de noviembre y detenido inicialmente sin cargos, ha sido liberado bajo fianza, según China Aid Association, una organización que se enfoca en asuntos de libertad religiosa en China y cuya sede está en Texas. Las autoridades dicen que se han retirados los cargos criminales en contra de Shi Weiham y una docena más asociados con su caso.
Los acusadores asignados al caso dijeron que no pudieron proseguir debido a la "falta de evidencia" en relación con los cargos que finalmente se presentaron: impresión y distribución ilegal de literatura cristiana. Sin embargo, una fuente cercana a la familia dijo a Baptist Press que la librería de Shi sólo vendía libros para los cuales ya había recibido permiso del gobierno.
Bob Fu, presidente de CAA, señaló que posiblemente la atención internacional dada al caso influenció la decisión de la corte. En diciembre, durante una conferencia sobre política religiosa del Partido Comunista, el presidente de China Hu Jintao también enfatizó la "política de libertad religiosa" del gobierno la cual enfatizaba el manejo de asuntos religiosos de acuerdo con la ley y el apoyo al autogobierno de los grupos religiosos.
A pesar de la liberación de Shi Weihan, cientos de personas languidecen en las prisiones chinas encarcelados por su fe cristiana, señaló Fu. Zhou Heng, por ejemplo, ha estado encarcelado desde agosto de 2007 bajo los mismos cargos que Shi Weihan. "Estas historias, y otras, son ejemplos de la falla del gobierno chino por mantenerse consistente en casos que reciben menos atención internacional," dijo Fu.
MUCHAS MUERTES INFANTILES SON ‘PREVENIBLES’-- En 2006, casi 9.7 millones de niños murieron antes de cumplir los 5 años – y la vasta mayoría de estas muertes pudieran haber sido prevenidas, según un nuevo reporte de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas. Sierra Leona, Angola y Afganistán son los países donde los niños tienen más probabilidades de morir.
La diarrea, la malaria o la desnutrición causaron la mayoría de las muertes infantiles, reportó el Fondo para la Niñez de la ONU. Medidas de salud simples como vacunas, redes para mosquitos y suplementos vitamínicos pudieran haber prevenido muchas muertes.
"La pérdida de 9.7 millones de vidas infantiles anuales es inaceptable, especialmente cuando muchas de estas muertes se hubieran podido prevenir," dijo a Associated Press Ann Veneman, la directora ejecutiva de la UNICEF.
La tasa de mortalidad mundial de niños se ha reducido en un 23 por ciento desde 1990, señaló el reporte. La tasa mundial en 2006 fue de 72 muertes por cada 1,000 nacimientos, mientras que el promedio en países industrializados fue de seis muertes por cada 1,000 nacimientos. La tasa de muerte infantil en Sierra Leona fue de 270 por cada 1,000 nacimientos. Veintiocho de los 30 países con la mayor tasa de mortalidad infantil se localizan en el oeste de África.
AL QAEDA UTILIZA DISCAPACITADAS MENTALES COMO BOMBARDERAS SUICIDAS -- Otra señal de que la red terrorista Al Qaeda está recurriendo a medidas desesperadas es su lucha en contra del gobierno iraquí y de sus aliados es el uso de mujeres mentalmente discapacitadas en sus bombardeos suicidas.
Dos mujeres descritas como sufriendo de síndrome Down explotaron a control remoto el 1 de febrero en dos mercados de mascotas en Bagdad, matando a por lo menos 91 personas. Las explosiones ocurrieron con 20 minutos de diferencia en dos partes de la ciudad.
La Secretaria de Estado de los EE UU Condolezza Rice dijo que los bombardeos comprueban que Al Qaeda es "el movimiento más brutal y en bancarrota de todos," según reportó Associated Press. Ryan Crocker, el embajador de EE UU en Irak, dijo, "No hay nada que no harán si piensan que funcionará para crear matanzas y tener las consecuencias políticas negativas que vienen con ello."
El uso de mujeres en ataques suicidas ha sido exitoso porque los tabúes culturales iraquíes prohíben que un hombre toque a una mujer que no sea su pariente. El ropón negro que cubre todo el cuerpo de las mujeres iraquíes facilita el esconder explosivos.
CHÁVEZ: EE UU PLANEA UNA ‘AGRESIÓN’ -- Cuando la Secretaria de Estado de EE UU Condolezza Rice visitó Colombia en una misión diplomática a finales de enero, el Presidente de Venezuela Hugo Chávez acusó a Colombia y a los Estados Unidos de estar planeando una "agresión" militar en contra de Venezuela.
Citando reportes de inteligencia sin ofrecer evidencias para apoyar su declaración, Chávez dijo, "Acuso al gobierno de Colombia de urdir una conspiración, actuando como títere del imperio de los Estados Unidos, de urdir una provocación militar en contra de Venezuela," según un reporte de Associated Press.
Chávez, quien enfrenta una tremenda baja en su apoyo público debido a asuntos domésticos sociales y políticos, a menudo acusa a los Estados unidos de estar planeando asesinarlo o quitarlo del poder. Esta es la primera vez que ha tomado tan agudo tono con el país vecino, Colombia, un aliado de EE UU que ha protestado que Chávez se haya autonombrado como negociador con los rebeldes que pelean en contra del gobierno colombiano.
El presidente venezolano advirtió a Colombia acerca de intentar una "provocación" y dijo que su país cortaría la exportación de petróleo si se lanzara un ataque militar desde Colombia. "En ese caso, escríbanlo: el precio del petróleo alcanzaría $300, porque no habría petróleo para nadie," dijo Chávez, según reportes noticiosos. "Los invasores tendrían que pasar por encima de nuestros cadáveres."
LA RDPCN TODAVÍA ES EL PEOR PERSEGUIDOR -- La República Democrática Popular de Corea del Norte de nuevo encabeza la lista de los países donde los cristianos sufren la más intensa persecución. Corea del Norte recibió 90 de los 100 puntos posibles para encabezar la "Lista Mundial de Vigilancia" compilada anualmente por Open Doors USA, un ministerio para los cristianos perseguidos por todo el mundo y cuya sede está en California.
Es el mayor puntaje que haya recibido un país en la lista y es el sexto año consecutivo que Corea del Norte la encabeza, dijo a Mission Network News Carl Moeller, el presidente de Open Doors USA. Otros países identificados como serios violadores de los derechos humanos de los cristianos en 2007 incluyeron a China, Arabia Saudita, Irán, las Maldivas, Bhután, Somalia, Yemen, Afganistán, Laos, Uzbekistán, Eritrea y los territorios palestinos.
En el mundo, 200 millones de cristianos padecen persecución debido a su fe y otros 400 millones enfrentan discriminación, según los cálculos de Open Doors USA.
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Mark Kelly es el editor asistente de Baptist Press.
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EDITORIAL: Mostremos el amor
by Por Óscar J. Fernández
Date: February 08, 2008 - Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--En el momento de escribir estas líneas los noticieros de TV y radio, nacionales y locales no hacen más que transmitir las dantescas escenas de los daños que ocasionaron los tornados que azotaron el Sur de los Estados Unidos hace dos días.
Al sur de Tennessee, desde el condado de Williamson hasta el de Macon, por doquier hay pedazos de lo que fueran casas, escuelas, negocios y luto por la pérdida de seres queridos. En Lafayette una comunidad de casas móviles fue prácticamente barrida del mapa. En el lugar en el que trabajo, muchos familiares de empleados fueron seriamente afectados. Yo me encontraba en casa cuando las sirenas comenzaron a sonar anunciando que había algún tornado que había tocado tierra en las inmediaciones, por lo que todos tuvimos que dejar lo que estábamos haciendo para buscar refugio en el lugar más apropiado de la casa.
Es un hecho innegable que lo inesperado nos puede tomar por sorpresa en cualquier momento. Nuestra vida se puede ver afectada de innumerables maneras. Vivimos en una sociedad llena de peligros y que está cambiando constantemente.
Desde la noche del martes he pensado muchas veces en las familias que vieron cuando el viento destrozaba sus casas, y en muchas ocasiones, todo cuanto poseían. La hija de un compañero de trabajo que estudia en la Union University dio un reporte breve pero patético de su situación. Estoy bien. Dijo. Y añadió, pero lo perdí todo. Hasta mi auto voló y quedó destrozado con las ruedas para arriba.
Vivimos en un mundo que sufre. Estamos rodeados por personas que están experimentando alguna pena. Tal vez no nos hayamos dado cuenta, pero aquellos que saben que somos cristianos, desde nuestros vecinos, compañeros de estudio, compañeros de trabajo hasta nuestros enemigos, nos miran buscando en nosotros algo de lo que nos debe caracterizar como cristianos.
Muchos se preguntan por qué pasan estas cosas. Y aunque pudiéramos especular mucho, la respuesta no es fácil. Sin embargo, cuando ocurren desastres, lo primero que viene a mi mente es lo que dice el Apóstol Pablo en 1 Corintios 13. "Si yo hablase lenguas humanas y angélicas, y no tengo amor, vengo a ser como metal que resuena, o címbalo que retiñe." Paradójicamente, el mundo en el que vivimos se destaca por la falta de amor.
Esta palabra de cuatro letras se usa tanto, que en muchos casos ha perdido su significado. La expresión: te amo, se ha convertido en una especie de estribillo vacío de sentido.
Pablo no solo contrapone el amor sino que lo eleva a la categoría máxima, y no cualquier clase de amor, se refiere al amor ágape que trata de describir en este capítulo de su primera carta a los corintios.
Dios es amor, y el mundo espera que los cristianos mostremos ese amor del padre. No es solamente que hagamos cosas. No es solo que repartamos nuestros bienes. No es tampoco que trabajemos hasta el agotamiento. Es que sintamos, mostremos y expresemos el amor de Dios en cada acción que hagamos, en cada cosa que digamos y en cada pensamiento que tengamos. Y lo más importante, que lo manifestemos no solo a nuestros familiares, amigos y a los que nos caen bien, sino aun a aquellos que nos son difíciles de soportar y de manera especial a nuestros enemigos.
Cuando tragedias como la que acaba de azotar el sur de los Estados Unidos se presentan, siento que Dios nos llama de una manera especial para que en cualquier lugar que estemos resplandezcamos y seamos un reflejo de su amor y compasión por el mundo. No de un amor cualquiera, sino de su amor ágape por la humanidad. Como ha dicho Max Lucado en su libro 3:16 Los Números de la Esperanza: "Cuando un 9/11 trajo dolor y confusión, un 3:16 mostró el amor y trajo la esperanza."
Sí, el amor de Dios es tal que dio a su Hijo para que TODO el que cree en él no se pierda y tenga vida eterna. Esto es lo que se expresa en el Evangelio de Juan capítulo 3 versículo 16. Y justo ese es el tipo de amor que nosotros estamos llamados a mostrarle al mundo. ¿Difícil? Claro que lo es. Nadie ha dicho que la vida del cristiano es fácil y sin problemas. El propio Jesús dijo que nuestro camino era estrecho. Hoy, ante la tragedia que han ocasionado los tornados, debemos mostrar nuestro amor, y más importante aun es que lo hagamos cada uno de los días de la vida que nos quede por vivir en este mundo.
Pudiéramos decir que hoy AMAR es la palabra de orden, pero tenemos que hacerlo de la misma manera en la que Dios nos ama a nosotros. Tome un momento. Deje por unos minutos el ajetreo cotidiano y medite en el amor de Dios y piense cómo lo está mostrando al mundo que le rodea. Siempre hay algo más que podemos hacer. Estamos viviendo días especiales en los que estamos llamados a mostrar el amor de Cristo al mundo. No debemos dejar pasar por alto esta oportunidad.
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Oscar J. Fernandez es el editor jefe de LifeWay Español para Adultos de Leadership & Adult Publishing, LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn.